RPI can't recharge on power plays

Engineers allow a goal with a 2-man advantage

By Matt Graves

Published 11:19 pm, Saturday, December 1, 2012

TROY — As losses go, this was one that could stick in the craw of a young college hockey team for some time.

Here's the unlikely scenario: Last-place RPI was playing a 1-1 game against ECAC Hockey leader Quinnipiac in the last half of the third period when the 16th-ranked Bobcats were called for two boarding penalties on the same sequence. RPI had a 5-on-3 power play for a full two minutes. Unusual as it may be, Quinnipiac scored with three skaters on the ice. End of game, end of story.

It will officially go down as a 3-1 victory for the Bobcats (6-0-0 in league play) after Clay Harvey's empty-net goal, but the double short-handed goal by sophomore Matthew Peca at 11:31 changed this game from hope to helplessness for RPI in the blink of an eye. RPI still had 1:15 to score 5-on-3, but the Engineers couldn't get it done after that deflating turn of events. It completed a night of 0-for-9 futility on the power play for RPI against the nation's third-most efficient penalty kill.

"With the exception of one area (power play), we played very good again tonight," said RPI coach Seth Appert, who admitted disappointment with his top power play line and the one game-changing error. "That can't happen. It's simple as that. It cannot happen. But you win and lose as a team. We had plenty of opportunities."

Defenseman Zach Davies poked the puck away from Jacob Laliberte in the RPI zone, then Peca went after the loose puck and won the race down the ice against Laliberte. He then had the presence of mind to make the right move to fake goalie Jason Kasdorf and finish the play.

"I just chipped it and off to the races," said Peca. "I beat him (Kasdorf) on the blocker. I don't think I've ever had a goal like that, not in such dramatic fashion that a 3-on-5 creates. It was a lucky bounce; that's all it is. I saw an opening and I took it."

RPI had overcome a 1-0 first-period deficit at 12:34 of the second period when a good eight minutes of hard work was rewarded. Freshman Mike Zalewski took a pass in the right circle from Milos Bubela, skated through the slot and fired a shot into the left corner of the net as goalie Eric Hartzell was unable to get back into position from the opposite post. It was Zalewski's first collegiate goal.

Quinnipiac also turned adversity to its advantage in the first period for a 1-0 lead on Kellen Jones' power-play goal at 16:59. RPI was on its own power play when the Engineers' Ryan Haggerty was called for interference. Quinnipiac ended up with a 43-second power play and Jones made it count when his drive from between the circles eluded Kasdorf inside the right post. That was all the offense they could muster until Peca's score.

"It doesn't happen often, but Peca's a great player," said Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold, whose team shut out Union the night before. "Tonight we didn't have our best effort , but in the end (goalie Eric) Hartzell was outstanding and we sneaked out of here with a 'W.' Penalty killing was about the only thing we did well tonight."